Connecticut's first state park is still one of its finest. Have a leisurely lunch in the shade of the picnic grove, swim in Long Island sound, or view marsh life from the observation platform at Sherwood Island.

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Sherwood Island Nature Center Open Seasonally

Curious and budding naturalists of all ages will find at the nature center a wide variety of displays and exhibits to greet them and help them understand the rich diversity of plant and animal life that inhabit the park.

The Center is located between East Beach and the salt marsh nature trail. DEEP staff, assisted by interns and docents, has planned summer nature walks, bird watching, and learning activities for adults and children.

Surf and shore fishing is allowed anywhere on the shoreline outside of swimming areas.

Art Trail Site

Sherwood Island is a Viewpoint Exhibit Host SiteDid you ever wonder what the Connecticut landscape looked like a century ago? Check out “Viewpoints”, a joint project of the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, the Connecticut Art Trail, and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Outdoor exhibits reproduce works of art painted in the 19th Century, with information about the artist and the location. Visit the Connecticut Art Trail Website for a preview, and look for the Viewpoint exhibits on your next visit to Sherwood Island and other host sites.

From I-95 north and south: Take Exit 18 to access the Sherwood Island Connector. Follow the Connector directly into the park.

From Route 1 north and south: take the Sherwood Island Connector in Westport. Proceed past the I-95 entrance/exit ramps directly into the park.

From Route 15 northbound: Take Exit 41 and proceed south on Route 33 to Route 1. Follow Route 1 north to the Sherwood Island Connector in Westport.

From Route 15 southbound: Take Exit 42 and follow Route 57 south. Go left onto Route 33. Proceed south on Route 33 to Route 1. Follow Route 1 north to the Sherwood Island Connector in Westport.

Fees

From Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day there are separate weekend/holiday and weekday parking fees. On weekends from the third weekend in April through the weekend before Memorial Day weekend and again the two weekends after Labor Day weekend, the weekday parking fee is effect.

Sherwood Island State Park covers just over 235 acres in the Greens Farms section of Westport. It is bounded on the west by the Mill Pond and on the east by New Creek. Centuries ago, another creek (Gallup’s Gap Creek) ran roughly down the middle, with an island to its west (Fox Island) and marshland to its east.

In the 1600s, a group of farmers settled on land east of the present park. They shared the surrounding salt marsh and farmed what was then called Fox Island. At the same time Thomas Sherwood, a miller from Nottingham England, arrived in nearby Fairfield with his family.

In 1787, Sherwood descendents settled on Fox Island and acquired an existing gristmill on the Mill Pond. Through the 1800s, on what came to be called Sherwood’s Island, the Sherwoods grew abundant crops. Onions and potatoes in particular were sent by ship to New York in great quantity. The gristmill serviced local farmers until grain farming in the area declined.

In 1914, after surveying the coastline, the Connecticut State Park Commission determined that the Sherwood’s Island area was the only location in Fairfield County suitable for a shore park. By then, the land had many owners. For help in making acquisitions, the Commission turned to William H. Burr Jr., a Westport produce farmer, former state legislator and an activist for historical preservation.

Because the first property purchase was made in 1914, Sherwood Island is said to be Connecticut’s oldest state park; but many years passed before it was accessible to the public. By 1923, with William Burr acting as intermediary, the State had acquired 48 acres of land on the marsh. However, neighboring landowner objections held up further funding to buy uplands for parking and park facilities. Through continuing advocacy by Burr and several regional associations, funding for the key parcels was approved, but not until 1937. These purchases were instrumental in creating momentum that lead to additional acquisitions and recreational improvements.